Barak shocked by strength of demonstration against Syria accord
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, January 12, 2000
JERUSALEM -- Aides of Prime Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday they
were stunned by a demonstration by an estimated 150,000 Israelis against
withdrawal from the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace treaty with Syria.
Thirty parliamentarians and several ministers attended the rally. They
included Housing Minister Yitzhak Levy and Interior Minister Natan
Sharansky.
"I think it was an honor to attend the demonstration," said Sharansky,
who pointed out the large number of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
The aides, who included several ministers, said they were closely
monitoring the size of Monday night's rally as a test of sentiment toward
the current Israeli negotiations with Syria. Barak has pledged to hold a
referendum on a peace treaty with Syria.
"It's impressive," Communications Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on
Tuesday. "To say that I wasn't surprised? I was surprised."
"It was very clearly an impressive amount of people," Industry and Trade
Minister Ran Cohen said. "It is a very authentic expression."
But Cohen said that Barak's election victory in June constituted support
for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights for peace.
Other government officials said they were not so sure. They pointed to
the large number of Barak supporters who in polls said they disagree with a
Golan withdrawal. They also pointed out that many Israelis were unable to
arrive at Monday's demonstration because of inadequate transportation
arrangements.
The aides said Barak has been urged to launch an effort to improve the
Israeli economy and benefit lower-income Israelis in an effort to win
support for a peace treaty.
The demonstration proceeded smoothly and politicians did not address the
crowd. "We will never leave the Golan Heights,'' said Eli Malka, chairman of
the Golan Residents Committee. "I appeal to the president of the United
States: Don't interfere, friend. Don't interfere, friend."
Later Malka said, "We're in the majority and we will win. We will take
care of the Golan.''
Meir Dagan, who recently resigned as Barak's adviser on terrorism,
warned that a withdrawal would result in
''100 years of terrorism. If we give back the Golan, there will also be a
war, and it will be bloodier and costlier than any other war in our
history.''